Castellví de la Marca, una fortificación recurrente en los confines de Tarragona y Barcelona

Now in the process of excavation, the castle of Castellví de la Marca occupies a dominant peak on the Penedès plain, in whose territorial defence it has played an active role since ancient times. Thus, after prehistoric precedents, at least two quite precarious phases of occupation are observed in roman times, one in the advanced republican period and another towards the end of the high empire. Later, Castellví could have been an occasional surveillance site during the first medieval centuries, until the position was consolidated with the construction of its watchtower, at an advanced stage of the emirate. The same tower formed the core of the county castle, which was built during the 10th century and lasted for another hundred years. Eventually, the fortification was completely rebuilt at the beginning of the Catalan civil war in the 15th century, still used as a watchtower in more recent conflicts.